Administering the DARSecond Edition, Forms A and B

Who Should Administer the DAR?

The Diagnostic Assessments of ReadingTM (DARTM) were designed to be used by classroom teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, psychologists, and other professionals charged with helping students read better.

No special training or instructions are required beyond reading the Teacher’s Manual and the Response Record. No special qualifications or certifications are required.

Materials and Equipment

The following should be available for a DAR administration:A quiet room, free of distractionsFor young students, a child-sized table with two chairsDAR materialsA pencil and paper for the studentA pencil or pen for the teacherOptional: a stopwatch for Oral Reading Fluency

Essential Components of the DARDAR Student Book

DAR Response Record with Directions for Administration

DAR Teacher’s Manual

Time Requirementsand Testing Pace

• Testing is untimed; there are no set time limits for the DAR.• Testing takes approximately 40 minutes per student. • A brisk pace should be maintained to hold the student’s interest

and to get a true appraisal of the student’s achievement.• The student should be allowed just enough time to think through

a task and decide on an answer.• The tests should be administered and scored simultaneously.

General Testing Procedures

During testing, follow the testing procedures as written.

The administration script is printed in colored boldface type.Give help on general procedures only. Do not teach the correct response during the test.

It is appropriate to establish rapport with students and encourage them to continue with a positive attitude.

Establishing Rapportwith Students

Appropriate encouragement for a student if a test question is missed:

• “I’m learning a lot about what you can do.”• “That was a good try. It wasn’t quite right, but you got

part of it.”• “That’s a hard one. Everyone has trouble with it.”

Comments to both correct and incorrect responses:• “That’s good.”• “You’re doing very well.”• “Fine.”

Working with Younger Students

• If a student is unable to handle the demands of a particular test, quickly move on to the next test.

• Put the student at ease at the beginning of testing by talking informally for a brief time.

• It is important not to push students, especially those in Kindergarten and grade 1. Young readers need to be assured that they can succeed at some level.

• It may help to conduct the testing in two sessions, allowing a break in between.

Accommodations

• The teacher may repeat, explain, or modify the directions in anyway necessary for the student to understand them fully.

• The student may hold a marker or ruler under a line of text while reading.

• An assistant may record student responses on the written portions of the test if the student is unable to do so because of a disability.

Because DAR tests are individually administered, accommodations for individual students are built into the test administration. The following are examples of possible accommodations that are permitted:

DAR Routing: Kindergarten

Subtest Should Student Attempt? Based on Result, Student Should Next Attempt:

Print Awareness START Yes

Yes, all subtests

Yes, all subtests

Yes, Level 1-1.

Find highest WR mastery level.

(if directed)

(if directed)

(if directed)

Yes, Level 1-1 or highest WR mastery level.

Find highest OR mastery level.

(if directed) Highest WR mastery level.Find highest SRC mastery level.

(if directed) Highest WR mastery level.Find highest Sp mastery level.

Yes, at grade level.Find highest WM mastery level.

Regardless of mastery: Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness Regardless of mastery: Letters and Sounds

Consonant Blends Regardless of mastery: Short Vowel Sounds

Oral Reading If WR mastery level was• 1-1: Spelling• 1-2 or above: Silent Reading Comprehension

No WR mastery: Word Meaning

Silent Reading Comprehension Regardless of mastery: Spelling

Spelling Regardless of mastery: Word Meaning

Word Meaning Regardless of mastery: END

Short Vowel Sounds Mastery: Continue Word Analysis until mastery no longer achieved, then go to Oral Reading

Non-mastery: Oral Reading

Letters and Sounds Regardless of mastery: Word Recognition Level 1-1

Word Recognition If WR mastery level is• 1-1 or 1-2: Consonant Sounds• 2 or 3: Short Vowel Sounds• 4 or above: Oral Reading

Consonant Sounds Mastery: Consonant Blends Non-mastery: Oral Reading

No WR mastery: Consonant Sounds

DAR Routing:Grades 1 and Above

Subtest Should Student Attempt? Based on Result, Student Should Next Attempt:

Word Recognition START Yes. Begin at grade or reading level, if known.

Find highest WR mastery level.

If WR mastery level is• 1-1: Print Awareness• 1-2: Consonant Sounds• 2 or 3: Short Vowel Sounds• 4 or above: Oral Reading

No WR mastery: Print Awareness

(if directed)

(if directed) All subtests.

(if directed) All subtests.

(if directed)

(if directed)

(if directed)

Yes, at highest WR mastery level.

Find highest OR mastery level.

(if directed) Highest WR mastery level.Find highest SRC mastery level.

(if directed) Highest WR mastery level.Find highest Sp mastery level.

Yes, at grade level.Find highest WM mastery level.

Print Awareness Regardless of mastery: Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness Regardless of mastery: Letters and Sounds

Consonant Blends Regardless of mastery: Short Vowel Sounds

Oral Reading If WR mastery level was• 1-1: Spelling• 1-2 or above: Silent Reading Comprehension

No WR mastery: Word Meaning

Silent Reading Comprehension Regardless of mastery: Spelling

Spelling Regardless of mastery: Word Meaning

Word Meaning Regardless of mastery: END

Short Vowel Sounds Mastery: Continue Word Analysis until mastery no longer achieved, then go to Oral Reading

Non-mastery: Oral Reading

Letters and Sounds Regardless of mastery: Consonant Sounds

Consonant Sounds Mastery: Consonant Blends Non-mastery: Oral Reading

Recording a Student’s Responses

A correct response to a question is indicated with a check mark:

An incorrect response is recorded verbatim:

Self-corrected errors are enclosed in parentheses ( ) and checked :

A line through a question indicates that the student did not trythat question:

DAR Interpretive Profile

• After recording student’s responses, transfer the information into the DAR Interpretive Profile on the last page of the Response Record.

• Record the student’s highest mastery levels for the leveled subtests.

• For the non-leveled subtests, indicate whether a subtest was Mastered (+) or Not Mastered Yet (N).

• The Profile provides a place to keep all subtest results and has three columns that allow for multiple administrations.

Sample Interpretive Profilefor the Leveled Subtests

1/4/05

13

5/16/05

24

31-1x

2-good

42

1-2

3-fair

Sample Interpretive Profilefor the Non-leveled Subtests

N

+

+++++

+++++

+

+

Reporting DAR Results to the Student

• Start with an informal discussion of DAR results. Use an approach that is comfortable for teacher and appropriate for the student.

• The student should not be told his or her levelscores for the DAR.

• Results should be given only in terms of relative strengths and instructional needs.

• Listen carefully—be supportive and accepting of the student’s feelings.

Implications for Instruction1. Reading difficulties can arise from inefficiency

as well as from inaccuracy in identifying words.

2. Remedial instruction needs to be geared toward the student’s level of reading development.

3. Diagnostic testing in reading should consist of finding out what the student knows, what he or she needs to learn, and what methods, materials, and levels of difficulty will assist in learning.

4. Instruction should be direct and explicit.

5. Effective remediation requires the teacher to challenge the student in a supportive way.

6. Frequent and timely assessment is essential.

Other DAR Products

DAR ScoringProTM

The DAR ScoringPro software can create data sets of students’ results, aggregate and disaggregate student scores, and print these reports:

Individual Report/Interpretive ProfileClass List Report

Class List Report

Individual Report/Interpretive Profile

DAR ScoringPro Reports

Trial Teaching Strategies (TTS)

• Administer the DAR.• Log on to the website: www.DAR-TTS.com.• Enter a student’s DAR results in any areas

of concern.The site returns strategies and materials appropriate for the entered results.

• Print the strategies’ instructions and materials.

• Hold TTS session(s) with the studentDiscuss the student’s DAR results.Try the recommended strategies.Discuss which strategies were helpful and how these strategies can be implemented in future instruction.

• For more information, visit www.DAR-TTS.com